Helpful Syllabi Information

Below please find some useful information regarding language that can be included in the Attendance, Expectations/Assessment, Plagiarism, and Accommodations sections of your syllabi.

Student Attendance

Your requirements for student attendance should be clearly stated on your syllabus and presented at the beginning of each semester. SAIC policy states that students are expected to attend all classes regularly and on time.

The Undergraduate Division recommends that faculty members keep attendance records and require attendance at all classes. Students should miss class only with reasonable cause. If a student needs to miss class with reasonable cause, it is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor to receive instruction for how to make up for the missed class. It is the instructor's responsibility to give this information to the student. Missing class for other than a reasonable cause may jeopardize the student's academic standing in the class.

If a student misses MORE than three classes, whether or not for a reasonable cause, s/he will fail the class, if s/he does not withdraw from the class prior to the deadline for withdrawal with a grade of "W". Deadlines for withdrawal: November 1, 2011 (Fall semester); March 28, 2012 (Spring Semester). If a student attends FEWER than three classes his/her financial aid, merit scholarship, academic standing, and/or immigration status will be compromised, regardless of an individual faculty member's modifications of these recommendations.

Reasonable cause to miss a class might include:

• Illness or hospitalization (the student should contact Health Services, who will relay information to the faculty in whose class the student is enrolled)
• Observation of a religious holiday
• Family illness or death

Ultimately it is at the faculty member's discretion whether to adhere to or modify these recommendations. However, in all cases, the attendance policy should be clearly stated on the syllabus for each course.

Expectations/Assessment

Clearly indicate your expectations of the student to successfully complete the course, explaining each requirement and method of assessment. The following may weigh into your criteria: class participation, participation in critiques, successful completion of all assignments.

Plagiarism: Statement to be used in syllabus

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago prohibits "dishonesty such as cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the School" (Students' Rights and Responsibilities, Student Handbook). Plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft. One plagiarizes when one presents another's work as one's own, even if one does not intend to. The penalty for plagiarizing may also result in some loss of some types of financial aid (for example, a No Credit in a course can lead to a loss of the Presidential Scholarship), and repeat offenses can lead to expulsion from the School. To find out more about plagiarism and how to avoid it, you can (1) go to the portal, select the "Services" tab, and click on "Plagiarism" under "Academic Advising and Student Success"; (2) go to the SAIC Web site, select "Departments, Degrees, and Academic Resources," then select "Libraries," then select "Flaxman Library," and then click on the plagiarism links under the "For Our Faculty" tab; or (3) read about it in the Student Handbook under the section "Academic Misconduct."

Please follow the procedures for academic misconduct/plagiarism described in the 2011-2012 Student Handbook. In summary, if a student is suspected of academic misconduct/plagiarism the faculty member should:

• Review the allegation and discuss it with the student.
• Assign a grade for the project/paper/class as appropriate and inform the student of this in writing.
• Refer the student to the Student Handbook for detailed information about their rights and responsibilities.
• Inform the Department Chair and the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for Academic Advising.

For a guide on how to recognize and avoid plagiarism, please download a guide available here.

You may refer your students to a useful quick guide, which can be found here.

Accommodations: Statement to be used in syllabus:

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

SAIC is committed to full compliance with all laws regarding equal opportunities for students with disabilities. Students with known or suspected disabilities, such as a Reading/Writing Disorder, ADD/ADHD, and/or a mental health or chronic physical condition who think they would benefit from assistance or accommodations should first contact the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) by phone at 312.499.4278 or email at www.dlrc.saic.edu. DLRC staff will review your disability documentation and work with you to determine reasonable accommodations. They will then provide you with a letter outlining the approved accommodations for you to deliver to all of your instructors. This letter must be presented before any accommodations will be implemented. You should contact the DLRC as early in the semester as possible. The DLRC is located on the 13th floor of 116 S. Michigan Ave.